FOLLOWING a disclosure by head of the State Forensic Lab, Dr Judith Mowatt, that improper storage of bullets taken from shooting victims by Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) experts has led to evidence being compromised, both entities are to make an announcement, in coming days, to resolve that issue.

“We had a very good discussion with the lab director and we have agreed that there was misunderstanding on both sides, and we will soon be making an announcement,” INDECOM Commissioner Terrence Williams has said.

He was responding to a question on the issue at the weekly Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange.

Dr Mowatt, appearing before the Joint Select Committee of Parliament charged with reviewing the INDECOM Act, in early November told that body that the practice by INDECOM to collect bullets after a post-mortem, still bloodstained, and transport it to their facilities for safekeeping and not making them available to the forensics lab immediately, was posing problems for the lab.

“It came to our attention that they were storing the bullet with the blood still on it. Now, forensic practitioners know that if it is that the blood is not required for DNA purposes you are to wash the blood stains off; because it has been established, through research, that prolonged contact of bullets with blood will cause the metal to corrode,” Dr Mowatt told the committee.

She said, despite indications to INDECOM about this, the situation was still not rectified.

Williams, at the time, said he had been unaware of this occurrence and would be probing the matter. He told Observer reporters and editors that the matter would soon be laid to rest, but declined to give details.

“I can’t say what it is yet; we are just fine-tuning certain things, but you will soon hear an announcement very soon coming from us,” he said.

Williams also said discussions had been held on “a lot of issues, including that”, (bullet storage) with INDECOM’s forensic expert Matthew Noedel.